Flashbacks
by Last Marauder of Five
Summary: Mystic Falls is having a small problem with ghosts and Bonnie finds a spell to solve What happens when the spell goes wrong? (Mostly just one-shots)
1. The Spell

Disclaimer: You know what? I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Amazing, isn't it?

Flashbacks

Chapter 1 - The Spell

Bonnie entered the room, carrying with her the Grimoire that had been passed down through the generations of her family. Damon, Stefan and Elena waited patiently as she set the heavy book down on the table and started flipping through the pages, searching for the spell she wanted to cast.

• I think - She started, putting an emphasis on think - This will solve our ghosts problem.

Mystic Falls had received several visits from the other side over the past few days and each time a ghost made contact with a human or vampire the link got stronger for the others. But the main problem was that the spirits were able to establish physical contact with this plane of existence, which had already endangered the lives of many people, being Damon one of them.

• It will throw them back to the dimension the belong in, but it won't seal the portal, so I will have to cast another spell afterwards.

She closed her eyes and all the candles that we had placed in the room at her request lit up. Her voice no more than a whisper, she said the enchantment. A soft breeze entered through the open window, almost blowing out the fire. Everyone could feel the magic in the air, playing with them, flying around as if daring them to try and tame it. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped. Bonnie collapsed on the floor, exhausted from casting the spell. Elena jumped up and hurried to help her friend. It didn't matter whether the witch felt up to it or not, the other spell had to be done, otherwise their problem would never be solved, and they all knew it.

• Come on, Bonnie - Elena whispered softly to the other girl - You have to finish what you started.

Bonnie nodded, getting up weakly. She took a shaky breath and continued to chant, though her voice broke up every once in a while. This time the wind came in with the strength of a hurricane, knowing down all pieces of furniture in the old house. Elena clung herself to Stefan, trying to keep from being thrown against the wall. The two vampires had their hands firmly gripping the floor boards as a desperate attempt to resist being dragged by the wind. The only one who seemed to be unaffected was Bonnie, who still had her legs crossed and her eyes closed. She didn't seem to realize what was happening, as she kept on saying the spell. Time seemed to slow down as everyone but the witch fought for their lives. They could feel their strength draining away and their grips getting weaker. The whole building was starting to tear apart. Wooden straps flew dangerously close to the Salvatore brothers, almost hitting them more than once. The wind finally got the best of Stefan and he was forced to let go, shielding his girlfriend with his body. Just as he was about to hit the wall, Bonnie finished the chant. Dizzy and tired, they allowed their bodies to relax before opening their eyes. When they did, they saw that Damon was gone.


	2. The Veritas Estate

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. If I did I wouldn't be writing here, would I?

Chapter 2 - The Veritas Estate

Damon got up and looked around, disoriented. He remembered gripping the floorboards for his life and seeing a bright light. After that, he couldn't recall anything other than waking up there, in that dark, cold place. He had tried to run away, but everywhere he went was the same thing. Darkness. He couldn't seem to find a person, a tree or an animal. Nothing. He didn't understand what was happening, though he was trying to. He just didn't have enough information.

Suddenly, Damon saw something bright right ahead of him. He walked towards it, hoping to find an exit. He felt a wave of coldness sweep through him, freezing every inch of his body, down to the core of his bones. He closed his eyes to protect them from the cold. The world seemed to spin around him, making his stomach give twirls of protest. He could feel the brightness getting closer, so he hurried up. Maybe once he got to it the craziness around him would be left behind. When everything calmed down, he risked opening his eyelids.

He was in the Veritas Estate, back in the 18 hundreds. The sun's bright light shone on the house's porch, where a one-year old played. The boy was concentrated on his task. He seemed to building something with the wooden blocks that were scattered all around the floor. Damon stared at the toddler, trying to understand what was happening. That house shouldn't exist anymore. It had been destroyed so that the boarding house could be built. Then he saw a woman whose face he could never forget. She came out of the house and picked up the baby, caressing his raven hair. He toddler laughed and gripped the woman's clothes, resting his head on her shoulder. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and came back into the house, not even looking at the confused vampire.

Damon couldn't move. He knew why the little boy had seemed so familiar to him. He was him. The baby was Damon when he was just one year old. He took a step forward, wondering if all that was just a dream. He could hear the cooks preparing lunch and the maids setting the table. He wanted to enter the house and continue to watch his day, but he didn't know if he should. Still, he walked to the door, each one of his steps harder than the last. His hand reached for the doorknob and he touched its cold surface. He wanted to laugh in amazement. It wasn't possible. He was actually in the past, seeing himself as a one year old. He turned the knob, containing his laughter, and walked in.

He could feel the smell of the food coming from the kitchen. Chicken. It had always been one of his favorite plates, though he didn't think he could eat it at that age. He heard the sound of a feminine voice coming from the living room and he followed it. In the sofa, the woman he thought he would never see again sat with the baby on her lap, playing peek-a-boo. Damon hesitated, wondering if they could see him. Deciding it was safe to approach them, he sat in the sofa, watching as the baby gripped her blonde curls.

· Mommy! - The baby exclaimed, laughing as she tickled his tummy.

Damon watched the scene with a small smile on his lips. He wished he could stay there forever, just enjoying seeing his mother again, but he couldn't. He had to go back to his reality. But that didn't mean he shouldn't appreciate this once in a lifetime opportunity for a little bit of time. He shifted his body so that he had a better view of her and sat there, watching as she played with the smaller version of him. Every once in a while he would laugh or say something, but most of the time he was content with concentrating on the way his mother moved, on the softness of her voice or merely on how she adored the tiny being sitting on her lap, even when he wasn't able to show the how he loved her unconditionally. After what could have been a minute or an hour, a maid called the family for lunch. Just before his mother got up, Damon locked his eyes on the baby and murmured:

· Enjoy every minute you can of her company because it won't last forever.

Then he ran out of the house before he could change his mind.


	3. Stefan

Disclaimer: You know what? I don't own The Vampire Diaries. What a surprise for you, isn't it?

Chapter 3 - Stefan

Damon felt the world freeze once again as he entered another area of brightness. This time he didn't close his eyes. There had to be an explanation for what was happening and he planned on finding it. The white light burned his eyes like sunlight would if he didn't have his ring. and the chilliness wrapped itself around him, freezing his skin, but he didn't give in. He didn't close his eyelids or stopped walking. He had to get back to the world as he knew it and he was sure that one of those brightnesses was the key.

As suddenly as it started, the pain went away. Damon looked around, trying to understand where he was. He knew he wasn't back to the time he wanted to be, as his old house was still standing in front of him, but he didn't know exactly in what year he was.

The front garden, which used to be populated with baby toys, was now a small playground, filled with swings, slides and sand boxes. Damon smiled as he stared at his old playground, remembering all the years he had spent in it, climbing, running, hiding and having fun. It was hard to believe that the little child who used to think that climbing to the top of his the trees that populated the backyard was hard was the same person as the vampire standing in front of his old house, the vampire who had killed so many humans he couldn't remember all of them. Concealed in the cover night gave him, Damon crept closer to the house, hoping to hear something that would give away his location in time.

The inside of the house was quiet. If he hadn't heard the breathing sound of the couple in the living room, Damon would have imagined that everyone was already asleep. Curious, he entered the house and made his way to the living room. Sitting on the couch was his mother, her eyes shining with excitement. He wondered what had gotten her so happy. He knew that it wasn't hard to make her jump up and down like a little kid, but he had the feeling that it was something big, something different from all the things he remembered her mother babbling happily about. He approached her, ready to leave at the first sign that he had been spotted. But no one moved a muscle. His father put a hand in her leg, looking more supportive than he could recall having ever seen him.

· Audrey, you don't need to tell him now. - Giuseppe told her, his voice as soft as velvet.

· No, I do. - She whispered - He has to know. It's wonderful, Giuseppe, and I want him to feel that as well. Please, call him down. You know he's still awake. - The last part was said with a smile.

Damon's father hesitated, but at last he got up and climbed up the stairs. Whatever the wonderful thing that had happened was, he didn't seem to be too happy about it. His eyes were clouded with concern and his grin had disappeared the moment he was out of his wife's sight. He leaned against the corridor's wall, passing his hand through his black hair. Damon cocked his head to a side, frowning. He didn't understand why his father would be so worried about something his mother thought was great. However, he didn't have much time to ponder, as Giuseppe quickly regained his composure and continued his way to little Damon's room.

· Damon? - He whispered into the dark room - Your mother wants to talk to you.

The vampire could hear the younger version of him stirring in his bed, probably afraid of getting caught awake so late. Damon still remembered his nightly adventures, which had earned him quite a lot of groundings. When his mother was the one to punish him, he usually only received a stern word and a warning not to do that again. His father, however, was much more severe, so the young Damon remained silent as Giuseppe waited on his door. Losing his patience, the older man entered the room. Damon could hear the kid's heart race as he pretended to be asleep.

· Come on, Damon, your mother has something important to tell you! - Giuseppe informed him, his voice now in its normal tone.

Little Damon tossed to his side, grunting. The vampire laughed at his acting skills. They had come in handy both in his human life and his undead life. Giuseppe grabbed the kid's arm and pulled him out of his bed, trying to control his temper. Something was bothering him, getting him on edge, but he was doing his best to both conceal and control it. The child's heart was racing so fast Damon could almost feel its beating. For a minute, he thought his younger self might pass out of fear. But finally, as he was carefully put on the ground, the kid's heart slowed down.

· I know you're awake Damon. - His father said in a sing-song voice, crouching - And I'll tickle you awake if don't open your eyes.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, a grin spreading through his face as relief washed over him. Giuseppe lifted him to his feet, smiling as well. Damon couldn't tell if the smile stretching across his father's face was genuine or just another pretense he had used so often after his mother's death. He just hoped it was real.

Father and son climbed down the stairs, both still smiling. As they reached the living room, they were both caught in giant hug. Audrey was radiant. The shine in her eyes made her look several years younger, stunning Damon. He could have just stood there for decades, staring at the beauty in front of him. She let her husband and her son go, though she still kept her hand in little Damon's shoulder. She led him to sofa, gesturing him to sit down. He obeyed her, not taking his worried eyes of her face.

· Damon, your father and I have been trying to have a new baby for some months now. - The boy nodded, his body relaxing a bit. - Well, I suppose there is no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it already. I'm pregnant.

The kid's lips turned up into a smile, which became a bigger and bigger as the news sinked in. He got up and wrapped his arms around Audrey's waist, almost laughing in happiness. Damon wondered if, knowing what was going to happen in seventeen years, he would have been so happy. But the time between Stefan's birth and them becoming vampires was great. It didn't matter how much he tried, Damon couldn't deny that. They were the best of friends for most of his human life and that time would never be forgotten.

He turned his attention to his father. The concerned look was gone and had been replaced by relief. Damon sniggered as he realized why his father ad been so concerned. He was afraid of how his son would take the news. It had been a long time since the vampire had thought of how Giuseppe acted towards him before his mother's death, but as he stared at the smile forming on his father's face he realized that he really had loved him and wished nothing but the best for his oldest son. He shook the guilt that started to wash over him out of his mind. It was too late for apologies. Giuseppe was dead and he deserved what he got. There was no excuse for killing his own sons.

Damon watched the scene with a slight grin on his face, wanting nothing more than to join them. But even if he could he wouldn't. His priority was to go back to Elena and the others, to see if the spell had worked. Taking a last look at the happy family, he parted.


	4. Jealousy

Disclaimer: As everyone knows, I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

Chapter 4 - Jealousy

The bright light that came from the forest almost blinded Damon. He didn't know what to do anymore. He couldn't just keep jumping from one scenario to the other, but he also couldn't stay in one and leave his whole life behind. He was enjoying relieving moments of his life he could barely remember, so he decided to try it a few more times before settling down and thinking of another way to get out of there. With a big sigh and a hopeful glint in his eyes, Damon walked into the white light.

The familiar burning pain hit him, but this time he was ready for it. He closed his eyelids moments before the pain started and prepared for it, his muscles tensing in anticipation. The icy cold light didn't seem so bad that time, but Damon still couldn't wait to get out of it. He walked in a fast pace, though he didn't run in fear that he would fall since he couldn't see. When the pain ceased, Damon cracked his eye open, anxious to see in which period of time he was.

There was woman standing in the porch, looking for her keys in her pocket. In her other arm, she balanced a small bundle of blankets. Damon slowly walked towards her, wondering why he recognized the blankets. He had the strange feeling he knew them, and something told him he didn't like them very much. As he got closer, the woman brushed a strand of hair out of her face, revealing her familiar features. Damon smiled at his mom as she sighed in frustration. He remembered her annoyance with her keys very well. She had the habit of forgetting them and then spending a long time looking for them in her pockets before picking up the spare one under the white porcelain vase.

She gave up, almost laughing, and bent down to pick up the other key. As she did so, one of the blankets fell of, revealing a tiny baby face. Their soft mane of blonde hair made him easily identifiable. Baby Stefan. Damon couldn't help but smile when he saw his little brother as a kid again. He remembered his days with him, playing under the sun, pushing him on the swing and laughing as he clapped his tiny hands together in happiness. He had been so innocent, so easy to get along with…

Audrey opened the door, giving the key an angry look, as if it was its fault that she had forgotten hers. Damon walked in, eager to see himself playing with his little brother. His mother put baby Stefan on a high chair, smiling as he gazed up at her. The vampire walked over to his baby brother, putting his face only inches from the toddler's. He studied Stefan's features, his almond shaped blue eyes, his almost inexistent eyebrows, his big cheeks, wondering how he could have turned into that insufferable eternal teenager. As a baby, he looked so peaceful, so curious, so eager to do anything to get what he wanted.

His mother caressed his thin hair and walked away. Throwing one last glance at Stefan, Damon followed. As Audrey climbed up the stairs, her smile faltered. Approaching her carefully, as if she might lash out at him, Damon put a hand in her shoulder, worried about what had caused such a sudden change in her mood. She had looked so happy and cheery downstairs, but now she could have just gotten out of a fight with her husband. Always suspicious of his father, he wondered if that wasn't the case. It wouldn't have been the first time he would have caused unhappiness to someone in the house. Shoving that thought aside, Damon decided to watch and see what happened.

Upon reaching the second floor, Audrey knocked on little Damon's door. He eagerly answered the door, carrying a comic in his hand.

· Damon, the lunch is on the table. - She informed him, as if she was sentencing herself to death.

· I'll be downstairs in a minute. - He answered, smiling.

Damon didn't understand their conversation. Something was really bringing his mother down, but he couldn't imagine what. At that time, the house seemed like the perfect scenario for a dollhouse and his family was the ideal model for a child's play. He shook his head, confused, and sped downstairs.

His father was already sitting in the dining room, his eyes scanning the newspaper avidly. He didn't even look up as Audrey sat beside him, sighing. Stefan didn't seem to notice the tension that was slowly building up in the room. He kept on playing with his own fingers, oblivious to the world. Damon wished he could do the same. The anticipation was driving him mad. He wanted to know what was happening, why his mother seemed so worried, but he couldn't. He had to wait until everything played out, until time said he could know. But Damon Salvatore had never been a very patient man.

Little Damon came running down the stairs, his eyes lighting up as he saw the cook serving food. He jumped on a chair, almost tipping it over. Damon suppressed a laugh at his younger self. He remembered his parents having some trouble controlling him, keeping him from breaking everything in the house. As they started to eat, the worry in the air dissipated and its place was taken by a pleasant conversation. Damon, still puzzled by his mother's earlier mood, smiled at the scene. Though he would never admit it, he kind of missed those times, the time when things were simple, when vampires were only lore and he and his brother were best friends.

• Isn't it cute when he does that? - Audrey asked, pointing to baby Stefan, who was clapping his hands happily.

With an eye roll, little Damon locked his jaws.

• It is, Audrey. - Giuseppe answered, a smile coming to his eyes.

Little Damon shifted on his seat, glaring daggers at his parents.

• When he does stuff like that you think it's cute. - He muttered, his hands closing into fists.

• Damon! You know we love you too. - Audrey scolded, her stressed expression reappearing.

• Or so you say. - Little Damon raised his voice a few decibels.

• Don't say things like that to your mother! - Screamed Giuseppe, slamming the table.

Damon watched as the younger version of him climbed out of the chair, which tipped over, and ran back to his room. He stared at the closed door in shock. He didn't recall anything like that. As far as he remembered, he had always had a wonderful relationship with his brother. That is, before they became vampires. He wondered how and when they had become friends. He was so deep in thought he was startled when his mother got up and went after little Damon.

He followed them, thinking that Audrey should know better than to reason with an angry Damon. Many fights had begun because he wouldn't listen to anyone when he was angry. Usually, he just dismissed everything that was said to him. Once they arrived at the top of the stairs, Damon found that his old room's door was open. On the bed, sat little Damon, rocking his feet back and forward while he stared at the ground, a few tears running down his cheek.

• Damon,- Said Audrey, crouching beside him - It's ok. I know you feel like no one pays attention to you anymore, but now you are going to have to learn to share the attention you used to get. We still love you, we will always love you and we have loved you from the moment I found out I was pregnant.

Little Damon snuggled on his mother's shoulder, more tears running from his eyes.

Damon stared the the two of them, wondering how many times they had had that conversation. He didn't remember any of them.

Throwing them one last look, Damon walked away, wishing he could stay for some days and live his old life one more time.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm thinking of making the next chapter about what is happening with Elena, Bonnie and Stefan. Please review telling me what you think of the idea!<strong>


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